Tech backlash reaches fever pitch as AI angst collides with social media fears

Silicon Valley’s technology leaders have long dreamed of making the world a better place. But now more than ever, Americans say they’re living in a tech-induced nightmare. “If this technology takes off in the way that you see the CEOs of AI Labs talking about, we’re facing a significant impact to our economy, to people’s jobs, to their sense of agency,” Sarah Myers West, co-executive director of research firm AI Now Institute, told CNBC in an interview. “There are lots of members of the public that don’t want to see that vision roll out.” “Treating it as a PR problem and a problem of public sentiment would be tremendously misguided,” West said. “To improve public sentiment requires really meaningfully contending with where the public is at and what they want in a more meaningful way than just, ‘Can we convince you to get on board?’”

Silicon Valley’s technology leaders have long dreamed of making the world a better place. But now more than ever, Americans say they’re living in a tech-induced nightmare.

“If this technology takes off in the way that you see the CEOs of AI Labs talking about, we’re facing a significant impact to our economy, to people’s jobs, to their sense of agency,” Sarah Myers West, co-executive director of research firm AI Now Institute, told CNBC in an interview. “There are lots of members of the public that don’t want to see that vision roll out.”

“Treating it as a PR problem and a problem of public sentiment would be tremendously misguided,” West said. “To improve public sentiment requires really meaningfully contending with where the public is at and what they want in a more meaningful way than just, ‘Can we convince you to get on board?’”

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